Grease plug
AssigneeRexnord Inc.
InventorJerome F. Sheldon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A grease plug adapted to fit into a cross hole in communication with a through-greasing passage and to reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the cross hole. The grease plug comprises (1) a generally cylindrical plug portion having at least one grease passage extending generally axially thereof and (2) a generally hook-shaped mounting portion which functions as a snap lock to retain the plug portion in the cross hole. In one embodiment, the mounting portion itself is long enough to bear against the inner surface of the through-greasing passage to prevent the grease plug from being lost therein; in another embodiment, a spacing portion is provided on the bottom of the mounting portion, and the spacing portion bears against the inner surface of the through-greasing passage. The grease passage can have various shapes.
Claims26
The combination of a member having a through-greasing passage and a cross hole extending from the through-greasing passage to the surface of the member and a grease plug releasably mounted in the cross hole so as to reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the cross hole, said grease plug comprising:
- a. a generally cylindrical plug portion having
- i. a radius of size sufficient to cause said plug portion to fit snugly into the cross hole and
- ii. at least one grease passage extending generally axially of said plug portion along the outer periphery thereof so that said plug portion reduces the effective cross-sectional area of the cross hole while still forming a grease opening, the effective cross-sectional area of the grease passage or passages being equal to the desired cross-sectional area of the cross hole, and
- b. a generally hook-shaped mounting portion
- i. integral with said plug portion on one axial face thereof;
- ii. made of a resilient material, and
- iii. dimensioned so that the mounting portion can be readily pressed through the cross hole, but is prevented from working out of the cross hole by the spacing between the legs of the hook-shaped mounting portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.